No longer a pushover (Noelle and Cedric) novel Chapter 188

"Are you free tonight?" Cedric asked.

"I am," Noelle replied casually.

"Put on a nice dress. I'll pick you up later," Cedric said.

Noelle's heart skipped a beat. "Where are we going?" she asked.

"You'll see," Cedric replied.

After hanging up, Noelle found herself pressing a hand to her warm face. She wondered if Cedric was asking her out on a date. After all, he was never the type to joke around.

She purposely washed her hair and changed into something nice. As she waited nervously, her phone buzzed again.

"I'm downstairs."

When Noelle stepped into the parking lot, Cedric was waiting by his car. He wore a black suit, and his hair was styled perfectly. He looked sharp—more so than usual.

"You look different today," she commented, feeling a little shy.

"It's an important event," Cedric replied as he opened the passenger door for her.

Noelle slid into the car, glancing over at him as they drove. She couldn't help but wonder where they were headed.

The car finally stopped outside the exhibition center.

It was then that Noelle realized this was the venue for the Outstanding Youth Awards.

She couldn't shake the memory of the last time she had been here. In her previous life, Lucas had been honored for his first-place victory in a competition. He brought Xenia along to attend the event and gave an interview that night.

As Noelle followed Cedric into the hall, a staff member approached them with a warm smile. "You must be the top scorer, Ms. Noelle Liddell! Please come with me to prepare. You'll need to give a speech later."

Noelle was stunned. She turned toward Cedric, unsure of how to process this.